Tinley's
Cafe, Cathedral Yard

This tea shop and restaurant
served the people of
Exeter and visitors alike, for many years, from premises that give one
of the finest views of the Cathedral
there is.

Situated on one side of Broadgate, parts of the rear interior of
Tinley's (Pizza Express) date from the 16th-century. The old Broadgate
and the timber fronted buildings on each
side were set back from Cathedral Yard. In the front, in line with the
present buildings were low, largely single story shops lining the
close. So there was a front row of single
story buildings backed by medieval, timber fronted houses. It is
thought that the premises first opened as an eating house in 1793 while
there is a record from 1816, of the
corner premises in use as a confectioners, run by the Misses Smale.

The old Broadgate was demolished in December 1824 and the
carriageway
between the High Street and Cathedral Yard widened. The corner building
was constructed in 1825, with a
narrow front curving round to the side along the new Broadgate
thoroughfare. The adjacent single story shop was built over and blended
into the corner building in 1830 and is essentially the building as
seen today.

For a number of years during the 1840s and early 1850s, part of the
premises was occupied by Miss Charlotte Dobbs' Honiton lace business.
She
married Mr Treadwin, a watchmaker from Cathedral Yard in 1850, and
moved to 5 Cathedral
Close to trade as Mrs Charlotte
Treadwin around about 1867.

Murch's Restaurant

The first reference to Murch's, the confectioners in
the Flying Post, was an advert for a young person to manage a dairy and
kitchen in 1849. Established in 1780,
Murch's were also cooks,
confectioners and caterers. Sarah Murch, widow, is listed in the 1861
census at the address as a confectioner. Her son James was working for
her while her second son had become an
ironmonger's assistant and her youngest child, Sarah was a shop
assistant. James Murch, Sarah Murch's late husband had been a wine
merchant in South Street until his death in 1854. By 1890 the business
had evolved into Murch and Goff, confectioners and restaurant. For some
strange reason they were also agents for "... the magical polish for ballroom floors."
Adverts from the Edwardian
period and First War show Murch's Cathedral
Restaurant and Cafe still in the building.

Arts and crafts

During the 1920's, the premises were used for an
arts and crafts business called Glebelands. Selling Honiton lace,
pictures, jewelry, pottery, candies and toys,
they were well placed to take advantage of the tourists visiting the
Cathedral.

Tinley's opens

It was in 1930 that Mrs Tinley opened her famous
tearooms and had the Tinley's sign fixed across the top of the
building. Luncheons in the 1930's cost 1s 4d and 1s
8d (about 7p and 8p) and people would drop in for a 'waffle and quick
lunch'. At first, the shop baked 2 dozen savories per day, but by 1965,
their bakery in Sidwell Street was
turning out 200 dozen! The bombing of 1942, spared many buildings in
Cathedral Close. However, the proximity of so many large explosions
caused movement in the upper floors and
Tinley's had to be evacuated to a new cafe in Blackboy Road, while the
building was reinforced with steel.

In 1961, Mr and Mrs Reginald Ellis took over the teashop, retaining
the
name, and in 1965 they opened their Sidwell Street premises. Another
change of ownership occurred in 1987
when Pascal and Jane Thomas took over, but after a dispute with their
landlords, the teashop finally closed as Tinley's in August 1992. In
March 1993 it reopened, named French
Sticks. Gone was the English style afternoon tea, and in was coffee,
croissants and French pastries. The new owners tried to introduce
tables on the pavement, but the City Council
saw fit to stop them, and within two years they had closed.

The premises were taken over by Pizza Express and Exeter
Archaeology
called to investigate the premises before a refitting. They established
that the oldest parts of the building
dated from the 16th-century and there was no evidence of the old
Cathedral Close wall running through the building. After refurbishment,
Pizza Express were open for business by
1996. Pizza Express has done a good job at retaining many of the
features of the old building, and even their sign out side is nicely
subdued, while keeping the striking Tinley's
sign across the top of the building.

Source: Various sources including Gates of the Close by M
Fodor
and Exeter guidebooks from 1910 to 1930. Exeter City Council Timetrail,
the Express and Echo, Flying Post and Dick
Passmore.

Broadgate before 1824 showing the building on the right, that would evolve into the Tinleys building.
Pizza Express with the Tinley's sign over, at Broadgate.
An Edwardian advert for Murch's.